European aid for Ukraine dries up
Cost of living impacts supply of weapons
Military support for Ukraine appears to be drying up after research revealed that major European governments had failed to make a single new pledge to send weapons to Kyiv last month.
Since Russia’s invasion in February, the UK, France and Germany have promised to stand by Ukraine with whatever assistance it takes to win.
But July became the first month since the beginning of the conflict during which there were no significant new pledges of international support by Europe’s largest economies.The data, by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, will compound fears that Western interest in the conflict is dwindling amid a mounting cost of living crisis.
The longer the conflict rumbles on, the more dependent Ukraine will become on a steady flow of Western weapons and financial backing.
“Despite the war entering a critical phase, new aid initiatives have dried up,” Christoph Trebesch, of the Kiel Institute, said.
“In July, donor countries initiated almost no new aid, but they did deliver some of the already committed support such as weapon systems.”
The German think tank’s data showed that Europe’s top donors — the UK, Germany, Poland, France, Italy and Spain — had failed to make a contribution.
Last month financial assistance to the tune of €1.5 billion ($2.42 billion) was provided by Canada and Norway.
Western governments did, however, last week commit more than €1.5 billion in cash, equipment and training to boost Ukraine’s armed forces.
As part of the pledging conference in Copenhagen, Britain vowed to double the number of M270 longrange rocket launchers, the Army’s most advanced missile system, being sent to Kyiv. The UK remains Europe’s largest contributor to Ukraine’s military efforts, but falls some €21 billion behind the US.
“This assistance is a matter of life and death for us,” Andriy Yermak, President Volodymr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, said.
“The only way to stop Putin is to provide Ukraine with maximum military aid and impose much tougher sanctions on Russia,” Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, added after a Russian attack on a residential area in Kharkiv.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s leader and the UN chief met in Ukraine with Zelenskyy yesterday in a highpowered bid to ratchet down the war.
But little immediate progress was reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would follow up with Russian President Vladimir Putin, given most matters would require the Kremlin’s agreement.
With the meetings held at such a high level — it was the first visit to Ukraine by Erdogan since the war began, and the second by UN SecretaryGeneral Antnio Guterres — some had hoped for breakthroughs, if not toward an overall peace, then at least on specific issues. But none was apparent.
Meeting in the western city of Lviv, far from the front lines, the leaders discussed expanding exchanges of prisoners of war and arranging for UN atomic energy experts to visit and help secure Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, which is in the middle of fierce fighting that has raised fears of catastrophe.
Erdogan has positioned himself as a go-between in efforts to stop the fighting. While Turkey is a member of NATO, its wobbly economy is reliant on Russia for trade, and it has tried to steer a middle course between the two combatants.
The Turkish president urged the international community after the talks not to abandon diplomatic efforts to end the war that has killed tens of thousands and forced more than 10 million Ukrainians from their homes.
He repeated that Turkey is willing to act as “mediator and facilitator” and added, “I remain convinced that the war will end at the negotiating table”.
In March, Turkey hosted talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators that failed to end the hostilities.